The Wisconsin Four

This week we are in the process of taking in 4 shibas in the Wisconsin areas that we have nicknamed "The Wisconsin Four".  Two of these shibas, Gibbs and Minori, are "retired" breeders from a commercial breeder with an approximate age somewhere between 7-8 years old. Minori has severe gum disease, traumatic damage to one eye, and endometriosis.  She is very timid with people.  Minori was released to MSIR because she was no longer producing puppies.  While Minori is sure to overcome her physical hurdles, the emotional barriers will likely take months of care with a very patient foster home.  Gibbs on the other hand has pneumonia making it difficult for him to breath, his ear was black with infection and so swollen that the vet couldn't find his ear drum.  He also had a staph infection and a severe UTI.  But while he is also scared, despite all his health issues he is happy, and he deserves a chance to live out his senior years as a beloved family pet.

Gibbs 

Minori

MSIR is also taking in two special needs puppies puppies from the same breeder.  These puppies were returned to their broker by the pet store because something was "wrong" with them.  One has a congenital heart defect and the other has "bad legs".  These are conditions we are finding more and more often in the young shibas coming in to rescue.  I had the pleasure of fostering a shiba with a heart condition a few months back.  Her vet bills totaled nearly $1000 for the special care that she needed due to her heart condition.

I will do the short and simple math for you...This month alone we are looking at likely needing to spend approximately $3000 on vet care for these four dogs (this is a guesstimate, it could be more, but likely not much less).  This estimate does not factor in costs such as food, routine preventative and other incidentals that occur during the routine fostering process.  The adoption fee for these dogs will total around $1000...and as you can see that leaves us with a bit of a defecit. 

The Wisconsin Four are being transfered to their foster homes this weekend but MSIR also has 17 other foster dogs in care to date.  Some of these dogs have been waiting for over a year to find their forever home.  Additionally, MSIR currently has a waiting list of dogs who need foster care that includes  owner surrenders who for whatever reason are being displaced from their families, shelter dogs, and commercial breeder releases.  We simply don't have the resources (time, money, or volunteers) to be able to help all of these dogs.

This is where you come in.

As a small, non-profit rescue organization we depend on our volunteers and donations to continue to be able to operate...and by operate, I mean save shibas.  Throughout the course of the past 18 months MSIR has taken in over a dozen shibas from commercial breeders which have heart or leg conditions that require special vetting, procedures, and surgeries.  The care for these "special needs shibas" average in cost anywhere from $500 - $2000 per dog to get the dog to a point where they will have a quality of life that includes being able to play, tug, and enjoy a short walk on a nice sunny day.

I have a special needs shiba myself that I adopted from MSIR, and I will tell you over and over how incredibly appreciative I am of the donations that came in to make his life possible, whether it was $10 or $100, our MSIR Alum Luigi was given the gift of a life from people who were willing to give just a little bit to give him a chance.  Elvis, was a scared commerical breeder release with luxating patellas who has blossomed into a loving and cherished family pet.  Zoey, required multiple surgeries to correct the patella issues in her legs and just finally, after over a year in foster care is moving into her forever home. 

Kei and Yukkio were a commerical breeder pair that were released to MSIR.  They were a bonded pair and very dependent on eachother, luckily they were able to find a forever home that could adopt them together.

To these dogs, and the families that adopt them, your donation is everything.

If you'd like to donate to MSIR please click here.  We understand that not everyone has the resources to be able to donate, but there are other ways that you can help as well.  MSIR is always in need of foster homes (remember that wait list I mentioned up above, help us knock that out by fostering for us), drivers for transports, people to work at events, people to evaluate dogs in shelters, and people to do home visits for prospective adopters.  If you can help in other ways, please email volunteer@shibarescue.org, or click here to complete our volunteer form.  We currently have over 1,600 fans on our Facebook Page.   If each of you donated just $1 we could cover the cost of a patella surgery on a shiba...if each of you donated $5 we could cover the cost of all of the vetting for the Wisconsin Four...you get the point!


“A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.”  (Jack London)